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Hainan Province
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Introduction
Hainan is China's biggest ocean island (not considering the disputed claim to Taiwan) its smallest and most southerly province. Famous for its tropical climate, blue sky and golden beaches it's considered the "Hawaii of China" or "Asia's/Oriental Hawaii". Once a part of Guangdong province to its north, it separated in April, 1988 making it China's youngest province. It is also China's largest Special Economic Zone.
The entire province of Hainan encompasses the large, main island and two hundred smaller islands scattered throughout three archipelagoes. The Hainan Province covers an area of just under 35,000 sq km / 13 513sq mi with the main island making up 97% of the total area. The main island has a coastline of 1580km / 981mi with forests covering over 50% of its landmass. The topography is fairly flat to the north and east with mountain top reaching over 1400m / 4600ft in places to the south and west.
Hainan Island, Zhongsha archipelago, Xisha archipelago and Nansha archipelago come under the administration of this island province. Immediately to the north of Hainan, across the Qiongzhou Strait, lies the Leizhou Peninsula, the southernmost tip of the mainlands Guangdong Province.
Haikou is the provincial capital city of Hainan. The coastal city of Sanya is the other major city on the island. Sanya hosted the Miss World beauty pageant in 2003.
This province experiences a tropical monsoon climate with April to June being the very hot and humid months. Typhoons hit the region at least once between July and September. Flooding and wind damage are frequent problems associated with the typhoon season.
- Average annual temperature: 22° - 26° C / 72° - 79° F
- Average annual sunshine: 1780 - 2600 hours
- Average frost-free period: 365 days
- Average rainfall: 1500 - 2600 mm. / 60" - 102"
- Best time to visit: November to March.
- Hottest months: July - August averaging between 25° - 29° C / 77 ° - 84° F
- Coldest months: January and February averaging 16° C - 24° C / 61° - 75° F
Being a beach paradise Hainan is a great place to visit for some "fun in the sun" or to escape the winter weather. The weather here is good for swimming throughout the whole year.
Its multicultural diversity gives tourists an opportunity visit typical ethnic villages of the Li and Miao people. Here they will experience the warm hospitality of the locals and get to enjoy traditional singers, dancers and meals, some of which are well known around the world.
Places to visit on the island include:
- Typical Li and Miao traditional villages
- Tropical beaches of Sanya
- Sanya's First market
- Nanshan Mountain
- Yalong Bay
- Tianya Haijiao Beach
- Dadonghai Beach
- Hairui Tomb
- Wugong Temple in Haikou
According to the latest unofficial 2008figures, Hainan has a total population of about 8.5 million permanent residents.
It's a multicultural population and, like most of China, the Han people make up the largest percentage. Of the indigenous minorities, the Li people are largest ethnic group. People from the Miao, Zhuang, and Hui, communities also inhabit this region.
The island has a fairly large Buddhist following and because it was on the route used by past missionaries, also has a thriving Christian population. Small communities of Muslim Utsuls live mostly in the Sanya area
The taste of Hainan's foods have been influenced by cooking styles from Central China, Guangdong and Fujian provinces, Southeast Asia as well as the local Li and Miao ethnic people. Being an island, seafood dominates menus and recipes. Locally grown fruits and plants are often used and clay pot dishes are a popular option.
Hainan cuisine is categorized in three ways:
- Banquet dishes - These dishes involve complicated cooking techniques and a wide variety of ingredients are used.
- Simple and quick dishes - Usually the small, roadside restaurants and food stalls serve these dishes at very cheap prices - barbequed meat skewers for example.
- Home-style dishes - These dishes symbolize the use of local seasonal vegetables, like Fried Dried Bean Curd, Steamed Fish with Shredded Ginger, Fried Sliced Meat and Bean Curd, Sweet and Sour Fish, Pork in Soy Sauce etc.
Popular dishes are:
- Wenchang Duck
- Jiaji Duck
- Dongshan Mutton
- Hele Crab
- Qiongzhou Coconut Milk Dish
- Hainan Chicken
Hainan is an island rich in minerals such as titanium, tungsten, magnesium, copper, and cobalt. It also has offshore reserves of petroleum and natural gas.
With over 50% of the island under forestation, it naturally has many types of wood species that maintain the production of commercial timbers. Two of these sought after woods are teak and sandalwood. However, agriculture is still a major player in Hainan's economy, supported by an extensive fishing industry.
The islands tropical climate makes it China's leading producer of tropical fruits and plants. It's the country's largest grower of pineapples and also exports coconuts, sisal, tropical fruits (litchis and mangoes), sugar cane, coffee, coco, peanuts and rubber from its rubber tree plantations. Rice is also grown in the flat areas of the north east.
Tourism is now the key to Hainan's economy. By limiting industry and polluting factories - extreme air pollution is an ongoing problem for most of China - the air is clean and the beaches golden. Together with its mountain ranges, greenery and beautiful beaches, it's no surprise that the hotel industry is booming and tourism accounts for 80% of the provincial revenue.
In 2008, the province had a nominal GDP of 145.9 billion Yuan (US$21 billion) and GDP per capita of 24,497 Yuan (US$3,575).
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